Believe in Him and He Will Guide You [64:11]

In verse 11 of Sura Taghabun, Allah [swt] says:

وَمَن يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

[64:11] … and whoever believes in Allah, He guides aright his heart; and Allah is Cognizant of all things.

Because human beings have such limited knowledge and no ability to see into the future, we cannot ever be sure of the soundness of our decisions or the impact of these on our lives. Life is full of crossroads and difficult decisions.

In the modern world especially, we are overwhelmed with choices and so much confusion. Many of us are struggling with purpose, direction and recognizing what is the right thing to do. Because of the tyranny of unending choices, we may find it hard to settle on one course of action.

We may turn to self-help books, mentors, or online influencers to ease our struggles but everyone has a different view and we may get even more confused.

In a world where moral values are constantly shifting, anchoring oneself in faith provides a sense of purpose and direction. Making Allah our refuge in all matters—through prayer, supplication, and reliance—ensures that we are led toward choices that bring us lasting peace and fulfillment. 

This verse offers us hope and a path forward. It reminds us turning to Him can guide our hearts and clarify our decisions. It reminds us that true guidance does not come from the world’s ever-changing trends or personal whims but from Allah. When we commit to His teachings, we are safeguarded from misguidance and destructive choices.

Scholars explain that those who are not guided experience life as a struggle, as though they are climbing an insurmountable mountain where the air is thin and they feel constriction in their breathing. Without divine direction, life feels burdensome and unclear. But for the believer, faith brings clarity, wisdom and ease.

Beginning to ask for guidance is actually very simple. We can simply pray a two rakat prayer with the intention to be guided towards good decision making and/or we simply pause and turn to Allah [swt] when we are confused.

Imam 'Ali (as) in the will to his son recommended, "... (In all your actions) continuously ask (Allah) for the best. "Nahj al‑Balaagha, Saying 31.

He also advised: "Any time you have decided to perform an act, then ask (Allah) for what is best." Ghurur al‑Hikm, Saying 3988

This implies that in big and small decisions in life, we actively ask for and seek guidance from Allah [swt]. This is a continuous process.

Of course, we also need to pray to recognize the guidance and to have the wisdom to act upon it.

This is beautifully articulated in this section from Dua Makaram Akhlaq where Imam Zain ul Abedin [as] asks Allah’s help in remaining steadfast on guidance

O Allah bless Muhammad and his family.

Make me enjoy:
a righteous guidance which I do not seek to change

a path of truth from which I do not deviate
a well guided intention which I do not doubt.

Dua Makarim Akhlaq
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Wishing you a day full of spiritual fulfillment, positivity, purpose and peace.